The improvement in armor for tanks, personnel carriers, and armor protected fortified positions has necessitated the use of projectile warheads having liners which are capable of penetrating and defeating these targets. In the past the election of materials used for explosively formed penetrator (EFP) warheads has been limited to those which experience a high degree of ductility at ambient temperatures. Although EFP warheads using copper and iron liners can successfully form into a high velocity lethal slug under the influence of an explosive shock wave, tantalum is considered the material of choice because of its high density. The problem with the use of tantalum is that it is extremely expensive. In the past, even though tungsten had the high density desired for use as an explosively formed penetrator, its inherent brittleness at ambient temperature prevented it from forming into a coherent lethal slug after detonation.
The armament research community in its attempt to improve the mechanical properties of less expensive alternate materials, have made advances in tungsten processing which has enabled tungsten's ductile-to-brittle transition temperature to be reduced to around 350.degree. F. The present invention describes how this improved tungsten material can be incorporated into an integrated lethal mechanism and perform effectively as an EFP warhead.